Black Market Whitetail Jerky Kingpin Busted in Tennessee

Josh King, formerly a county deputy in Tennessee, made the classic mistake all traders of illicit goods make: he advertised on Facebook.

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency officer Dan Hicks said officials caught King, who is currently working as a bail bondsman, advertising several flavors of the forbidden fare on his Facebook page and then arranged an undercover buy and caught King with his illicit meat in hand.

In Tennessee it is illegal to buy or sell wildlife and wildlife products. Specifically, the USDA doesn’t regulate wildlife products like it does store-bought meats, putting consumers at risk.

However, according to Hicks, without laws like this the entire wild game population might be threatened. “We like to protect that resource,” said Hicks, “and make sure it’s there for the next generation and the next generation.”

If King is found guilty of the single Class A misdemeanor he is charged with he could face a fine of up $2,500 and a year in jail.